Shoe-fastening



(-NModel.) W.. L. JUDSON.

r'No.504,091'.

SHOE FASTBNING.

Patented Aug.. 29

UNITED `"STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WHITCOMB L. JUDSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SHOE-FASTENING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 504,037, dated August29, 1893.

Application led August 17, 1892. Serial No. 443,353. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

3e it known that I, WnIrooMB L. J UDsoN, a cltizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Clasps for FasteningShoes, &c.; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to clasps, serviceable for shoe fasteners, or othersimilar use, and is in the nature of an improvement in that class offasteners shown and described in my pending application, filed of dateNovember 7,

1891, under Serial No. 411,155. In common with said former application,I employ herein a series of clasps securable to the flaps of the shoesor other corresponding parts to be fastened, for securing the sametogether, and I use in connection therewith a hand device similar tothat shown in my former case for automatically engaging or disengagingthe entire series of clasps by a single continuous movement. My presentinvention is, however, directed particularly to the form of the claspsor interlocking parts and to the means for securing the same to theiiaps of the shoes; and consists in the novel features of constructionhereinafter fully described and particularly defined in the claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein, likeletters referring to like parts throughout the several views, Figure 1is a plan view showing a portion of the flaps of the shoe, with theinterlocking clasps secured thereto, and the hand device in its lockingaction; and Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same taken on the lineX X of Fig. 2. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the hand device. Figs. 4, 5and 6 are transverse vertical sections taken respectively, on the linesX X, X2 X2 and Xs X3, of Fig. 4, showing the action of the hand deviceon the interlocking parts. Fig. 7 is a detail, in perspective, showingone of the interlocking parts of the series detached.

The parts shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 are all enlarged fromtheir normal sizes, in the proportions of about three to one, for thepurpose of better illustrating the construc- A,tion of the same.

A represents an ordinary shoe, provided with the flaps a and the tonguea. The iaps have eyelets a2, for co-operation with draw cords, as willpresently appear. The parts of the clasps are pivotally connectedtogether, so that each series of parts in reality constitutes what may,for distinction, be called a chain. One chain of parts is connected toone flap and the other chain of parts to the other flap.

The particular sections or links of each chain have .projecting hookswhich engage with the corresponding links or sections of the otherchain, for securing together the Iiaps or other parts to be fastened.Each section or link is preferably constructed of a piece of -steel wireor other suitable material, which is bent to form the pivot rod or bodyportion b, constituting the longitudinal part of the link, the pivot eyeb for connection with the next adjacent link, the cord loop b2, forconnection directly or indirectly with the shoe flaps, and thetransversely projecting hooks b3, for interlocking with thecorresponding link or section of the other chain.

The individual links or sections, as entireties are designated by theletter B.

The pivot eye b is so located, that when it is connected with theopposite extremity of the next adjacent link or section, the saidconnecting joint between the links of the chain will be at a pointimmediately inward of the cord loops b3. In virtue of this constructionand connection ofthe links, any one link or section of the chain may begiven an independent pivotal movement on its longitudinal axis withoutany movement of the adjacent sections, or of the chain as an entirety.This fact particularly adapts the fastener to the use of my particularform of hand device, for locking or unlocking all the clasps,by a singlecontinuous movement of the said hand device longitudinally of thechains. It should be also noted that the corresponding sections or linksof the opposing chains are positioned longitudinally, so as to breakjoints with each other. Hence, the interlocking hooks b3, of the onechain, will stand opposite the central portions or the pivot rods b, ofthe other IOO chain, in position to engage therewith, to lock the partstogether. This arrangement removes the necessity of a finelongitudinaladjustment of the clasps, and will permit considerable play of saidparts under the action of the hand device orotherwise, withoutpreventing or hindering their engagement.

Another important feature in the consti' uc' tion and arrangement of theinterlocking parts lies in the fact that the engaging por` tions of thehooks b3 are turned upward and are engaged with the pivot-rod b of thecorresponding section of the other chain, by an under-hooking action,and are held in their engaged position by the upward pressure of thefoot against the tongue of the shoe. Hence, it is not necessary loconstruct the engaging portions of the hooks b3 with return ends. Theyare preferably made simply in the form of stop lu g projections whichwill resist lateral strain; which fact permits the two parts of theclasps or fasteners to be engaged without overdrawing the flaps beyondthe position occupied by the same when fastened together.

The chains are secured to the shoe flaps, in my preferred construction,by the draw-cords or lacing strings C, in engagement with the cord loopsb2, on the links or sections of the respective chains and the eyelets a2on the respective shoe flaps. These lacing string connections give theVery important advantage of permitting either or both chains to beadjusted in respect to the flaps, thereby securing a perfect fit of theshoe to the foot and an adjustment of the parts after they are stretchedfrom the wear or usage of the shoe. Incidentally also, an appearance isproduced similar to thatof a laced shoe.

D is the hand-device consisting of a movable guide provided with afinger piece cl, and having cam ways d for permitting the passage of theclasps, by the movement of the guide from one end to the other of theseries. These cam ways are so shaped and related that by the passage ofthe guide in one direction, the clasps will be depressed and drawntogether and engaged; while by the passage of the guide in the otherdirection, the clasps will be depressed, disengaged, and separated. Inother Words, one end of the guide has two channels or grooves withflaring mouths for receiving the two parts of the clasps when opened ordisengaged, and this may be called the gathering or forward end of theguide, in contra-distinction to the other or rear end of the guide,which has a single channel or camway with flaring mouth into which thetwo camways of the'said forward end converge.

In Fig. 2, the arrow indicates the movement of the guide to effect theengagement of the clasps, while by reversing the direction of itsmovement, or, preferably by reversing the guide end for end, and thenmoving it in the same direction as before, over the engaged clasps, thedisengagement of the entire series will be effected. In other words, asingle continuous movement of the hand device will engage or disengageall the clasps. The construction of the said guide with convergingcanrways and the action of the cam-Ways upon the clasps in passing overthe same are illustrated in the sectional views 5, 6 and 7. Fig. 5 showsthe entering position at the forward or gathering end, Fig. 6 theintermediate position, and Fig. 7 the delivery position at the rear end,in thelocking action. In the unlocking action, Fig. 7 would illustratethe entering and Fig. 5 the delivery position. In this locking andunlocking action, underthe movement of the hand device, the pivot rodportions Z; are raised to give the necessary dip or angular depressionsto the engaging ends of the hooks h3. The shoe flaps a and the lacingstrings C, will yield in respect to the shoe and foot, to permit thisaction.

It will be seen, that the hand device D is practically the same inprinciple of construction and operation as the hand device fullyvdescribed and broadly claimed in my above noted pending application. Theonly dierence is that the angle or dip is reversed, so that the claspsare depressed and underhooked instead of being raised and overhooked asin the other case.

It is obvious that if the adjustment of the clasps with reference to theflaps is not desired, the loops b2 of the interlocking sections B may besecured directly to the said flaps, as, for example, by engaging thesame with the eyelets CL2.

It is also evident that various other changes in the details ofconstruction and arrangement might be made, without departing from thespirit of my invention.

It will also be understood that while theinvention has been shown anddescribed asapplied for fastening shoes, it is equally applicable forfastening gloves, mail-bags and gen-4 erally, wherever it is desired todetachably connect a pair of adjacent flexible parts:

What I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the UnitedStates, :is asfollows:

l. A fastener for shoes, or similaruses, comprising two series of linksor sectionsrespectively securable to the flaps to be fastened, the linksof each series being connected together and provided with hooksconstructed to interlock with the links of the opposite series,substantially as described.

2. A fastener for shoes, or similar uses, com prising two series oflinks or sections respect# ively securable to the two shoe iiaps orother parts to be fastened, the links of each series being pivotedtogether by swiveled joints and provided with hooks constructed to intenlock with the links of the opposite series, substantiall y as described.

3. A fastener for shoes, orsimilar uses, conlprising two series ofconnected links orsections respectively securable to the flaps `or otherparts to be fastened, the links of each series being provided withupwardly projecting hooks constructed to engage by an underhookingaction, whereby they may be retained IOO IIO

in engagement by pressure from beneath, substantially as described.

4. A fastener for shoes, or similar uses, coinprising two series oflinks or sections respectively securable to the iiaps to be fastened,the links of each series being connected by swiveled joints and eachconstructed with a longitudinal rod portion and a transverselyprojecting hook adapted to engage with the rod portion of thecorresponding link in the opposite series, substantially as described. t

5. Afastener for shoes or similar use,com prising two series of links orsections, respectively, securable to the flaps, the correspendingsections of which are arranged to break joints with each other, each ofthe said sections being formed with the pivot rod b, having at one endthe pivot-eye b', and at the other the loop b2 and the projectinginterlocking hook b3, connected and operating, substantially asdescribed. I

6. The combination with a series of clasps for fastening adjacent parts,such as shoe flaps, of a draw cord or cords, connecting one or bothmembers of the clasps to the parts to be fastened, whereby the entireseries of clasps may be adjusted at will7 relatively to said partssubstantially as and for the purpose set forth. l

7. The combination with the shoe flaps a', or other corresponding partsto be fastened, provided with the eyelets a2, of the fastener consistingof two series of sections or llnks securable one to each of said flapsand c oinposed each of the pivotally connected sections B, consisting ofthe pivot-rods b having the pivot-eyes b', the cord loops b2 and thehooks b3, operating as described, and the draw-cords C passing throughthe' loops b2 and the flap eyelets a2, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth. p j

In testimony whereof I affix my signature 1n presence of two Witnesses.v

WI-IITCOMB L. JUDSON.

VVitn'esses:

S. C. DAVIS, A. I. SMITH.

